What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Carbomer, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Potassium Hydroxide, Sorbic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Hydroquinone 2%
Stabilising
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBetaine
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Propylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
PEG-16 Soy Sterol
EmulsifyingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingHydroquinone 2%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, PEG-16 Soy Sterol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Protein
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPotassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.
Learn more about Potassium Cetyl PhosphateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
